Vermont’s State Legislature Makes Marijuana History with This Vote

Never before has a state passed recreational marijuana bills through its Legislature, until now. Vermont’s House and Senate approved recreational marijuana bills, with the House at a vote of 74 – 68 and the Senate at 21 – 9.

If H.170 makes it through one more hearing and to the Governor’s desk before the end of the session, which is in a few days, recreational marijuana would become legal in Vermont, according to Marijuana Policy Project. The bill would legalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana.

Matt Simon of the Marijuana Policy Project said, “Most Vermonters support this bill, in part because they know that marijuana is objectively less harmful than alcohol, and it’s time to start treating it that way.”

A poll in March by Public Policy Polling found that Vermonters support legalizing marijuana by 57-percent, with 39-percent opposing.

Vermont’s Governor, Phil Scott has not said if he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk before this weekend, which is the end of the legislative session. He’s rumored to have said that the bill will wait until January 2018 to be signed.